“This is awesome! This Ottawa-based quintet frequently sounds like a cross between Mumford and Sons and the Pogues”
— Roots Music Canada’s Top 11 Favourite Discoveries of 2019 (CAN)
“There’s an infectious rhythm and energy here… upbeat tempo full of movement and joy…making for an excellent sound”
— Various Small Flames (UK)
““We had the privilege of having the Dustbowl Daddies play at the Canadian Association of Fire Chiefs national conference. They were highly entertaining, with an excellent variety to meet the needs to many different listeners. They planned meticulously and were great to work with. As a drummer myself, the group was nice enough to allow me to play a few songs with them. Thank you to great musicians and even better humans.””
— KEN MCMULLEN, PRESIDENT OF THE CANADIAN ASSOCIATION OF FIRE CHIEFS
“Beautiful”
— Mr. Foxx Frequency (USA)
“I loved the folky feel of the music, great authentic instrumentation choices” ”
— Rock the Pigeon (USA)
“Bright and upbeat with stacks of energy”
— Bristol Funk (UK)
“Thank you for being committed and passionate supporters of the Ottawa Rape Crisis Centre for so many years … The Dustbowl Daddies are one of our favourite community partners and your support (and, of course, your immense talent and dazzling wit) always brighten our day! … Everyone who has had the pleasure of seeing The Dustbowl Daddies play has said that it is such a warm, supportive, friendly experience – not to mention full of fantastic music and dancing! … Thank you again for your generosity, compassion, and dedication to survivors in our community. ”
— Ottawa Rape Crisis Centre (OTTAWA)
“Cool and very high energy”
— Americana Highways (USA)
“The Dustbowl Daddies! Beautiful music is in the air in #hintonburg #ottawaporchfest2018”
— Ottawa PorchFest
“Love the bluegrass energy - very nice explosive energy and drive”
— B-Sides & Badlands (USA)
“The Dustbowl Daddies blend bluegrass, folk-pop, alt-country, and gospel influences on this toe-tapping romp. The song is a joyous celebration about (along with the inherent trepidation of) bringing children into the world. You’re going to want to clap along with the fiery harmonica, jangling strings, and driving beat.”
— Mother Church Pew (US)
“The clarity in the production is as ever crystal as can be and so it feels like we’re there with them and kicking up a storm, a badass ballad with a party to enliven with all manner of traditional forces. The playing is as expected a force of nature…They talk about cannonballs because they hold the reins on the one they’ve created here. Music for the soul and the pacemaker.”
— MP3HUGGER (Ireland)
“Kicking up clouds of dust with down-home energy is what these fellows do best, as you can hear in this highly polished track, Broken Pieces. Unlike the title, there’s nothing broken or out of place here. Each note is in its place. Have a listen!”
— Houdini Mansions, Daily Devant (CAN)
“The Daddies truly charmed the house with their warmth, while their catchy uplifting original tunes and skilled instrumentals kept our toes tapping and created quite a stir (including resounding applause and cheers). A call back is assured for next years’ winter season, if not before!”
— In From the Cold, (Ottawa)
“Really attentive songwriters …who have published extensively on everything from politics to poetry … you can hear that writerliness in their songwriting.”
— Adobe and Teardrops (USA)
“A lively upbeat offering with a summery spirit to it and a lovely vocal performance!”
— We All Want Someone To Shout For (USA)
“It’s easy to think of folk music as something soft, sparse and gentle and forget just how spirited it can be. How it can ignite a fire in your veins, make you cast all inhibitions aside and make you want to dance and twirl about the room until you’re out of breath. Take ‘Shoulda Let You Down’ for instance; it’s anything but soft and gentle, it’s a rollicking, foot-stomping tour de force. This infectious new number from Canadian folk ensemble The Dustbowl Daddies has something magical about it. Press play, break the seal on this potent little potion, and you’ll find you have the perfect recipe for an instant party. Celebrating a much needed escape from a unhappy relationship that had been dragging you down for far too long, this track has such boundless energy. The frantic mile-a-minute strumming and chaotic sing-along chorus just makes you feel like you can take on the world. It’s a song for feeling the warmth of the sun on your skin after a winter that seemed to last a lifetime and reveling in the thought of brighter days to come.”
— Belwood Music 'Top Tracks' (UK)
“This is winter night fare, the wind howling outside and all of us in awe of your energy doing the same. Felt compelled to find room for this one so you’ll find it on our ‘Old Timey Charmers’ playlist on Spotify!”
— MP3HUGGER (Ireland)
“Very unique … out-of-the-box arrangement … super rhythmic instrumental and very smooth and charming vocal harmonies”
— Music Lover
“Love the uplifting vibe and the vocal harmonies are really pleasing to listen to! The soft yet driving rhythm of the drums is great too and somewhat soft on the ears, which is a nice change. ”
— Alpas Records (Belgium)
“Good “stomp & holler” tune. reminds me of Mumford & Sons”
— Offshore (Germany)
“Great indie folky piece! Love the energy and old school sound”
— Tracks-I-Love (Netherlands)
“Dig the almost punk-bluegrass energy ... A barn burner for sure!”
— Music Mecca (US)
“Like a roots version of the Pogues without the messy next day explanations. Good on you all”
— MP3HUGGER (Ireland)
“The edgy-soulfully expressive vocals perfectly blend with the edgy-soulful and country instrumentals. When I dig into the lyrics, I find it very clever and intriguing…interesting arrangement and a pretty unusual chord progressions … and when it comes to the performance, I find it remarkable”
— Music Lover
“Like the upbeat, warm, and hooky mood this gives off. The track fuses country, Americana, and bluegrass textures that make for a lively and quirky musical character. Appreciate the melodic hooks complemented by the groovy drums and instrumental backdrop. ”
— UNXIGNED (Philippines)
“Gracias por enviarnos tu track. “You Are Talking” es una hermosa y rítmica canción, interpretada con una voces muy dulces y emotivas. Nos ha gustado mucho la instrumentación, con un sonido fresco y orgánico, crea una atmósfera musical muy cálida y atrapantes. ”
— Caoba Records (Chile)
“Nice strums. Live show beauty we bet. Will do great out there for sure…it’s a hum-dinger and will entertain like nobody’s business”
— Come Here Floyd
“I love this instrumentation, fan of that straight-up, bluegrass-inspired, upbeat vibe, banjo is definitely my jam... Great job putting the group synergy together, like the way you stack the vocals”
— CHILLFLTR (USA)
“I love you guys!I would totally be up on the dance floor with a beer in my hand. Love it! It is a song that would get me up dancing and I’d be singing along. ”